Contra Mundum
by the-Mad-Majesty-of-Muchness
Summary: "Damnant quod non intellegunt." Liir and his sister have heard this phrase escape their father's lips more times than either twin can count over the past three years. They don't yet realize that the truth within that phrase is what took away their mother.
1. Prologue

**AN: Okay, so I've been sick all week, and I was on here via iPod at one point when I was resting in my bedroom. I went and I re-read two of my favorite stories by one of my favorite authors on here, and in both stories, she managed to get some Daddy Fiyero Cuteness in there, and so I couldn't stop thinking about what a great dad he would be and blah blah blah, you know the drill.**

**SO GUESS WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? I'm just hangin' around being sick, not doing anything of consequence, and I'm alone in the house, right? I get bored, and since I've had _Come What May_ stuck in my head for god-knows-how-many-weeks-now, I decide to watch Moulin Rouge. So I get up and start heading over to the movie cabinet, pick up the DVD case, I'm looking for the remote that changes the darn input on the TV, when suddenly, out of nowhere...**

**WHA-CHAAA! PLOT BUNNEHZ COME SWARMING IN THROUGH THE DOG DOOR!**

**And one of them stops. And it looks me right in the eyes. AND THEN IT POOPS OUT A STORY IDEA EGG RIGHT ON THE TOP OF MY HEAD!**

**And thus, _Contra Mundum _was born.**

**xoxo,  
>Maggie<br>**

**PS: The phrase _contra mundum_ is Latin for "against the world," for anyone who didn't already know  
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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

They were both small, and neither of them weighed as much as most children their age. He'd held them hundreds of times before, though not always both of them at the same time.

They looked no different from the last time he'd seen them, and he certainly hadn't expected them to after just an hour and a half. They felt different, though. Even kneeling on the floor without so much as shifting, they seemed a bit heavier than the last time he'd picked them up.

He didn't know what to do. There wasn't anywhere left for him to go. His mind was foggy and grief-stricken after what had happened. The one thing that had remained clear through it all was that he needed to get back to them as quickly as possible.

He wasn't quite sure how, but he'd managed to accomplish that much. He was back, they were in his arms. So now what? Her voice spoke from a place he couldn't see. He heard her clearly, though.

_Protect them._

Yes, protect them. Get them to safety, keep them out of harm's way, hide them from the enemy. He couldn't let those men find out that they existed, that was the most important thing.

But right now, his main priority was getting them both as far away from here as possible. So that's exactly what he did. He gathered the bare essentials and put them into a leather satchel, took them both, and escaped in the dead of night. And in that moment, he knew:

Fiyero would do anything he felt was necessary to keep his four-year-old twins from harm.

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><p><strong>AN: I know you're probably wondering: "What the devil is going on here? Why isn't Elphaba with him, did Maggie tie her up and stash her in a closet or something?"<strong>

**And as a matter of fact, no. I did not tie her up and stash her in a closet. There is a reason for her absence that is an extremely major plot point. The story would not be able to move along if Elphaba came into the picture right now. I know that probably doesn't make very much sense, but I promise that it will make perfect sense later on, trust me. Please just bear with me for now, alright?**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing except for a medical condition that is very common among fic authors. It is a terminal disease that the Romans used to call _insanabile cacoethes scribendi,_ otherwise known as "an incurable passion to write."  
><strong>


	2. Chapter 1

__**AN: Marsaili's name is pronounced MAHR-suh-lee, and her nickname, Maisry, is pronounced MAYZ-ree. Both of them are Celtic names used in both Ireland and Scotland that mean "a pearl," and they are both alternate forms of the names Margaret/Majorie/Majory. **

**Originally, I was going to give her the same name that Gregory Maguire gave to Liir's daughter in the fourth Wicked Years book, Out of Oz, which is Oziandra Rainary, and her nickname was going to be Rain, but then I changed my mind and decided to go with either Celtic or Gaelic, because I've been going back through a book called "Through the Faerie Glass," by Kenny Klein recently, and it mentions the name Maisry (also spelled Masery) several times in there, and I absolutely fell in love with it and all the other Celt/Gael names, so anyway, yeah, that's how that ended up happening.  
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**Also, on the site where I got these names, it also has "Maureen," as in MAUREEN FREAKING JOHNSON FROM RENT. Guess what Mo's name means?**

**"Great."**

**Fits her perfectly, doesn't it? And also, the nickname "Mo" might have its origins in an alternate spelling of the name, which is "Moreen." Pretty cool, huh? I wasn't even TRYING to find stuff about that name, I was just on this website looking at a list of Celtic names and trying to pick one for Liir's sister, and it had that in the "M" section, right underneath the name I ended up choosing, if you can believe that! DANCE WITH ME, PEOPLE!**

**OMIGAWD, I GOTTA TELL YOU GUYS BEFORE I FORGET, I'm getting to go see "Mary Poppins" live onstage today! My friend Christina says that she actually FLIES ABOVE THE AUDIENCE when she's making her grand entrance, and I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE THAT! I'll tell you all about it my next update, I promise!**

**xoxo, love ya tons!**

**-Maggie 3**

**DISCLAIMER: Thoren and Azon are mine. Daeri, his sister, and nephew are mine. Marsaili is mine. Fiyero and Liir are not mine. Elphaba is not mine. Nor/Ilianora is not mine.**

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><p><em>Three Years Later<em>

The fact that he was able to look down at the man in front of him didn't help Fiyero get rid of the helpless feeling inside of himself. He knew that continuing to argue would be completely useless by this point, so he didn't even bother to try. He tuned everything out, his mind already beginning to form a new plan.

_"Just focus on what needs to be done," _he told himself repeatedly. _"Find a way to get some bandages, get to the camp, rescue Nor, then go from there."_

The shorter man turned and continued along the dirt path. Fiyero sighed, running a hand through his hair as he glanced over his shoulder, only to find his son picking at the huge cut on his arm.

"Liir!" he called. "What did I tell you about messing with that?"  
>"It's not my fault, Dad, I swear! She made me do it!"<p>

Fiyero rolled his eyes as he went over to where the seven-year-old was sitting with their things. He picked up the makeshift bandage that Liir had taken off, shaking his head.

"Liir, how many times have we gone over this? You can't blame your sister every time you do something you shouldn't, especially if you know you're not supposed to do it."

"Aw, jeezum! _Now_ what's he trying to pin on me?" Maisry demanded loudly as she came scrambling down the nearby hill with a flask in each hand.

As soon as his eyes landed on his daughter's face, there was a pang in Fiyero's heart. It was nothing new, though. He was used to it by now. She just looked so much like her mother that it hurt sometimes.

Both twins had gotten Fiyero's ice blue eyes and pale ivory skin, but their obsidian hair and high cheekbones were entirely Elphaba. Marsaili just had so many more of Elphaba's physical characteristics than Liir, so it was more painful to look at her.

He took one of the flasks when she held it out to him, shaking his head. "Nothing important. You sure this is totally full, hon? It doesn't feel as heavy as usual." Maisry rolled her eyes in a manner almost identical to her mother. "I'm _positive, _Dad."

Fiyero raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as he unscrewed the top and looked into the opening. "It's almost half-empty, Maisry," he said. She frowned. "That's not possible, I filled it up all the way, I know I did!

"You guys are so dumb!" Liir blurted suddenly. "Quit tilting it, Dad, there's water coming out the side!" Sure enough, there was a stream of water flowing out of a hole in the side of the flask.

Maisry fought back a grin as she held out the other one. "Here," she said, "this one's full, I promise." Fiyero took it and tested the weight. Satisfied with what he felt, he put it into a side pouch on his rucksack.

"Dad? Why did Thoren keep going without us?"

Fiyero closed his eyes and sighed. He'd been hoping that neither of them would ask, but he should've known that it would happen sooner or later. It certainly didn't surprise him that Liir was the one to ask.

"Thoren has to follow his own path from here, and it just...It's not the one that we're taking. He's done everything he can to help us, but there's not much reason for us to stay with him anymore."

Liir frowned and kicked at a pebble. "Should've known this would happen. I mean, why _would_ he stick around? Ked didn't, Azon didn't, not even Daeri, and you said that he saved your life."

"He did, Liir, and I'll never be able to repay him for that."  
>"Then why did he leave, huh? If you guys were so close?"<p>

Fiyero sighed. "Liir, we've been over this a million times. Daeri left because he needed to find and rescue his older sister and nephew. Speaking of which, let's get going. We've gotta keep moving if we wanna get to the camp that Nor is being kept at before sundown."

He grabbed his leather satchel and the rucksack, and after Maisry put her shoes back on, they continued following the dirt path.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong>** OK, I've said this before in ANs and stuff for other stories, but for those of you who either haven't read those stories or have forgotten, I'm going to repeat myself in order to clear up any and all confusion.**

**In my mind, Sarima is Fiyero's whore of a twin sister. I've discussed this with one of my PM buddies on here (can't remember who, it's been awhile), and we came to the conclusion that if Gregory Maguire had made Sarima his sister in the book, then theoretically speaking, that would make him Irji, Manek, and Nor's uncle instead of their father. **

**So, here's how I incorporate that into my stories:**

**Manek is the oldest. He had a twin sister at birth, but she was a stillborn, so they saw no point in naming her. She is buried in the garden at Kiamo Ko, and her grave is marked with a statue. Irji is the second oldest, and he has a different father, making him Manek's half-brother. Nor has the most interesting story of the three.**

**She is the youngest, and once again, her father is someone totally different from either of her half-brothers. She was born 8 weeks premature, and Sarima lost a lot of blood while in labor. They were afraid that she and the baby would both die. As soon as the midwife said "It's a girl," Sarima passed out cold. The only other person in the room at the time was Fiyero, and he got the privilege of being the first person to hold his niece. **

**As soon as she was strong enough, Sarima did the exact same thing she had done with both of her sons; left Kiamo Ko without even giving her child a name, leaving the baby to be raised by its grandparents, aunt, and uncle. Fiyero got to pick the name this time around, and he chose Ilianora because of the fact that it derives from an ancient Vinkun word meaning "miracle child," which is exactly what this baby was. Over time, it ended up being shortened to just Nor.**

**Because she's a preemie, Nor has always been smaller than most children her age, and she has always gotten sick easily. She and Fiyero have always shared a special connection; He loves both of his nephews, of course, but there's just something there between him and Nor that's not present with Irji or Manek. Fiyero has always believed that this is due to the fact that he was the first person to hold her when she was born.**

**None of the children know who their mother is. Reynard and Zerelda (Fiyero's parents) decided that it was probably best not to tell them so that they would't ask questions that couldn't be answered, such as why their mother abandoned them and why she seemed to not even love them. They do know, however, that they are siblings. **

**To them, Sarima is nothing more than a woman who randomly shows up at Kiamo Ko out of the blue every so often. Fiyero and his younger sister Niobe usually take turns keeping the kids distracted during Sarima's visits, in order to avoid awkward situations.**


	3. Chapter 2

**AN: I'M SO SORRY ABOUT THE WAIT, MY LIFE'S BEEN CRAZY! Oh, and I've finally gotten my lazy ass in gear on my first original story. First chapter is up on Fiction Press if anyone wants to check it out, PLEASE DO I ONLY HAVE TWO REVIEWS AND THOSE DON'T EVEN REALLY COUNT THEY'RE FROM TWO OF MY RP FRIENDS FROM FACEBOOK! It's called "Locked in a Land of Mute Suspension" and it's under the Young Adult category. My pen name there is Cuckoo-OutlawOfLove-inNirvana. (Homage to three of my favorite songs on Adam's new album n_n)**

**SPEAKING OF ADAM, guess what!**

**The night before last, I had this dream that I was in this hotel-type place, and I was just sort of wandering around or something (idk what i was doing actually, but my dream-actions are not important, just wait till i get to the best part!) and then I get over to this set of double doors, right? Well, guess who was on his way out the door when I walked up to it? That's right!**

**ADAM FREAKING LAMBERT!**

**So of course I got all squealy and stuff and I was all, "OMG I'M LIKE YOUR BIGGEST FAN EVER!" and I got him to hug me and stuff and he even let me touch his hair, and you guys know how big of a deal THAT is for me! 8D**

**BUT THAT'S NOT EVEN THE BEST PART!**  
><strong>The best part was this:<strong>

**As he was pushing the door open, he stopped, turned back around, KISSED ME ON THE TOP OF MY FOREHEAD LESS THAN TWO MOTHER FRACKING INCHES BELOW MY HAIRLINE, then turned and walked out the door.**

**I am never. Washing that spot. EVER AGAIN. For as long as I live.**

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><p><em>FLASHBACK, 3 YEARS AGO (TIME OF PROLOGUE)<em>

_Elphaba cried out in pain, clutching at her side as she collapsed. Fiyero turned, eyes widening in terror. "Fae!" He rushed to her side, gently holding her. She managed to put her arms around his neck, blood coating one palm. She'd taken a bullet just below the ribs on her right side.  
><em>

_Fiyero stroked her cheek with his thumb, trying to reassure not only the green girl, but himself as well, speaking to her in a low murmur, struggling to keep the panic that was building up inside of him from tinging his voice. He didn't want her to know that he wasn't as confident as the words he had chosen.  
><em>

_"It's alright, Fae, you're gonna be alright, you're gonna make it. You're strong, I know you can do this."  
>"Yero...t-take care of the twins...Tell them I love them, give...give them both kisses for me..."<br>_

_He shook his head. "No, Fae, please, no...Please don't go, love...They need you...  
><em>I_ need you...please..."  
>"I love you...Yero...my Hero..."<br>_

_Her eyes fluttered weakly, then closed as her arms went limp around his neck, head falling back.  
><em>

_Tears filled his eyes, then spilled over, hot on his face as he took hers between his hands and kissed her with a feverish passion that he hadn't felt since that night in the forest with her.  
><em>

_Her lips were still warm.  
><em>

_Holding her tightly in his arms, Fiyero threw his head back in pure agony and screamed his lover's name to the heavens.  
><em>

_He could barely breathe with the way his violent sobs were mercilessly wracking his entire frame. Despite the shortness of breath, though, he was still somehow managed to scream at the gods, wishing doom upon every deity he could think of as he shouted the curses that had been used by his people for centuries against their enemies.  
><em>

_In a blind rage of heartbroken fury, he took vengeance on her murderer, too grief-stricken to be aware of what he was doing until it was already over. He looked at his hands. Whose blood was that? Fae's, or the shooter's? Or was it his own?  
><em>

_The front of his shirt was soaked in it, and he could feel more sticky warmth on the side of his face, too, trickling down from the wound just underneath the place where the roots of his hair met his forehead.  
><em>

_The corpse in front of him was beaten to a bloody pulp. Had he really done that? That couldn't be _his _dagger in the man's chest, could it?_

_'Oh god,' he thought. 'God, what have I _done? _I'm a monster. My god, this can't be happening. I have to be dreaming. Please, _please _let this be nothing but a nightmare! Please, let me wake up in bed with her safe in my arms and the twins-The twins...Oh hell, I can't let those bastards find the twins! I've got to get back, make sure they're safe. But Fae...I can't just leave her...There's no time to-Yes, of course...I'll just...It will have to do, because it's all I've got time for...That's what I'll do, then..."_

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><p><em>The Kanraki grew restless. "Sábháil, athbheochan, ach amháin, athbheochan," they whispered amongst themselves. "Sábháil, athbheochan." Over and over again, like a never-ending chant of sorts.<em>

_A week after hearing her lover's anguished cries of mourning, the Kanraki burst from the ravines they called home, swarming to the body of Elphaba Thropp, where she lay cold and motionless on the very bed that her children had been conceived and born in, covered by the blankets with her hands across her chest, just as Fiyero had left her the day she was killed before taking the children and fleeing their enemies.  
><em>

_The ravine spirits worked frantically over the green girl, all around the bed, throughout the room, throwing the blankets off, all the while continuing their chant:  
><em>

_"Sábháil, athbheochan, ach amháin, athbheochan..."  
><em>

_Finally, with one last cry of, "SAOL ELPHABA!" the Kanraki vanished quicker than they had come.  
><em>

_The girl on the bed was not the same as when the spirits had arrived. All traces of emerald now gone, Elphaba's skin was a pale alabaster that contrasted sharply with her long midnight curls. The Kanraki had done this purposefully, in hopes that it would allow her to remain inconspicuous while searching for her family. They intended for the spell to be broken once she was reunited with them.  
><em>

_Her earth-and-mica eyes fluttered open.  
><em>

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><p><strong>AN: ...PLEASEDONTKILLME! *shields self*<strong>

**BTW, the Kanraki are not something out of my imagination. In Out of Oz, Maguire briefly mentions "spirits that live in the ravines that run through the Great Kells." That's not word for word out of the book, but you get the picture, I'm sure. Anyway, THOSE are the Kanraki. Oh, and as for what they were saying, it's in Irish, aka Celtic. The chant translates to "Save, revive, save, revive," and that repeats indefinitely, kind of like a certain song that some of you may know...*shifty eyes* coughhintavpschough *shifty eyes*...**

**ANYHOO, the part with Elphaba's name is that ever-present-in-the-books two-word statement that we all know and love, "ELPHABA LIVES!"  
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**Oh, and also:  
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**LES MIS LES MIS LES MIS LES MIS LES MIS I'M READING THE BOOK AND IT'S SUPPOSEDLY COMING OUT ON MY BIRTHDAY LES MIS LES MIS LES MIS LES MIS LES MIS LES MIS LES MIS LES MIS *repeats indefinitely*  
><strong>

**DISCLAIMER TIME, KIDS! XD  
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***clears throat and starts singing*  
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**I dreamed a dream of time not gone byyyyyyy  
>It never happened and prob'ly never wiiiiiiill<br>I dreamed that Wicked wa-as miiiiiiiiiine  
>I dreamed that Adam kissed my foreheeeeaaaaad<br>**

**But neither thing ever actually happeeeeeeened  
>Wicked does not belong to meeeeeeee<br>And Adam never kissed my foreheeeeaaaaad  
>Or anywhere else for that matteeeeeeer<br>**

**I had a dream my life would beeeeeeeeee  
>So different from this shit I got stuck with!<br>So different now from what it seeeeeeeeeemed!  
>Now life has killed the dream...I...dreeeeeeeeaaaaaaaamed...<br>**

***bows, stands up straight and gets hit in the head with something flying through the air*  
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**OUCH! ALRIGHT, WHO'S THE WISE GUY?  
><strong>

**Fiyero: THAT ONE WAS TOTALLY LEO'S FAULT, I SWEAR!**

**Me: *picks up object that hit me, examines it* ...Yep, that's Leo's doing alright. *chunks it over shoulder* LEONARDO NICHOLAS HALSTEAD! HOW MANY TIMES MUST WE GO OVER THIS? DO NOT CARELESSLY TOSS THE UNNEEDED PARTS OVER YOUR SHOULDER UNLESS YOU WANT TO RISK LOSING A LIMB, OR TWO, OR THREE, OR POSSIBLY FOUR, AND POSSIBLY A FEW INTERNAL ORGANS AS WELL! BECAUSE YOU KNOW DAMN WELL THAT THERE ARE MORE THAN JUST ONE OR TWO PEOPLE AROUND HERE THAT WILL NOT HESITATE TO HAMSTRING YOU IF THEY GET HIT WITH ONE OF THESE THINGS, AND I'M ONE OF 'EM! AUTUMN! GET THE GOD DAMNED BASEBALL BAT AND HELP ME BASH YOUR STUPID BROTHER'S SKULL IN!**

**Jojo: OOOOOOH, you guys're bashing Leo's skull in? Can I help?  
>Me: By all means! Here! *shoves bat into her hands* Take one'a these suckers and start bashing!<br>Jojo: After we're done with Leo, can we do Logan, too?  
>Me: He still on that Superman thing?<br>Lizzie: You have NO idea.  
>Me: LOGAN, WE'RE BUSTIN' YOUR SKULL ONCE WE'RE DONE BUSTIN' LEO'S!<br>Conner: Duuuuude, that is like SO whacked up.  
>Me: Alright, Woodrow, lookie here! I have just about HAD IT with you boys and all your stupidity! We have to put up with it day in and day out! So unless you wanna get your name put on the list right after Logan's, I'd suggest that you SHUT YOUR GOD DAMNED TRAP AND MIND YOUR OWN GOD DAMNED BUSINESS, CAPICHE?<br>Conner: O_o  
>Me: That's what I thought, boy. ALRIGHT, LADIES! ONWARD TO VICTORY! *attacks Leo with Jojo &amp; Autumn*<br>**


	4. Chapter 3

**AN: Alright, people. You wanna know what I did with Elphaba instead of stuffing her into a closet? Well, ya got yer answer. READ ON, MAH PEEPS.**

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><p>It surprised her that her own brother didn't recognize her. But then again, he wasn't used to seeing her like <em>this. <em>But oh, how she'd missed that warm, friendly smile of his, and the way it made his hazel eyes crinkle up at the corners; their sister's eyes.

She wished she could tell him who she really was, make him blush with embarrassing childhood memories, just like she used to all the time. But it was too dangerous. She'd just have to stick with her alias and the usual backstory that she gave.

"Thank you for this, I really appreciate it."  
>"No problem. Gets kinda lonely sometimes, y'know? What'd you say your name was again?"<p>

"Erelanna Canicus."  
>"Ah. Vinkun. No wonder you're so pale."<br>"I beg your pardon?"

"Nothing, nothing! It's just, well, I've done more than my fair share of traveling, and I seem to remember from my times in the Vinkus that pale complexions are highly common there, especially in the Arjiki tribe, which judging by your name and hairstyle, is the one you're from. Pale skin and dark hair is primarily seen in the Arjiki people, is it not?"

Elphaba smiled. This was the Shell she remembered from her childhood. "Yes, it is," she said. "The only exceptions I know of are the princesses, the older of whom is estranged. She has a rather sun-kissed looking complexion, and the younger one has strawberry blonde hair."

Yes, let him think she was a native Arjiki. They were, after all, Fiyero's people. It would make it easier to believe that he was her husband since Vinkuns rarely, by tradition, married people native to another Ozian region.

Thank Lurline she was fluent in the tribal language. It would make the whole act just that much more believable in the long run along with, as Shell had mentioned briefly not five minutes ago, the way she had started wearing her hair in the past few years since her separation from Fiyero and their children.

"So what exactly are you doing, anyway, wandering around so far from home?"

Time to test her storytelling skills.

"I was forcibly separated from my husband and four-year-old twins about three years ago, and I have reason to believe that he may have fled the country with them in order to protect them from our enemies. Those men would like to see us both dead, and if they knew the children existed, no doubt they'd also be put on the hit-list. Do you have any family?"

She wanted to see how truthful he'd be, just for the fun of it.

"Two dead parents, a screwball aunt that nobody's seen or heard from in eighty million years, one dead sister, and another sister that seems to have mysteriously dropped off the face of the planet. Personally, I blame the aliens for that one. Although if she heard me say that, she'd smack me and demand to know what kind of idgit pills I've been taking and then launch into this long, never-ending lecture about how aliens don't exist and blah blah blah, tons of crap that ain't worth my memory space."

She laughed. At least he was being honest! "How old do you think your kids are now?" he asked. She couldn't help but roll her eyes a bit. "Seven," she said matter-of-factly. "They were four last I saw them, it's been three years. It's not hard to do the math, you know. It's just simple addition."  
>"Math never was my forte. Geography, however, is another story. Part of why I love to travel so much."<p>

"My husband's sister is the same way. Always all over the place. Partly because she's a drifter and my in-laws disowned her when she was about sixteen, but...I think she also has some passion for it way deep down, even if she probably doesn't realize it herself."

"I'd like to meet her."  
>"You should know she's got three children, none of whom share a father, <em>all <em>of whom she abandoned as newborns without even naming them. My husband, his parents, and other sister raised and named all three, and they don't know who their mother is. For their own good, too. She doesn't love any of them. Never have, never will. Breaks my heart just thinking about it."

He smiled, just the way she'd been missing for so long. "You're alright, Erelanna. You kinda remind me of the sister that got abducted by aliens."  
>"You remind me of my brother. Pretty sure he got abducted, too, or something along those lines. Never see him anymore, so who knows? Nothing's impossible, right?"<p>

"That word isn't even in my vocabulary, woman."

This was definitely her crazy big brother who she loved so dearly.

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><p><strong>AN: The name Erelanna is not a total lie when it comes to her identity. It's her given name, Elphaba, in Fiyero's native language. The name Canicus, however...don't ask, cuz I don't even remember. XP<br>**

**And yes, I am fully aware that Maguire portrayed Fiyero and his people as having dark skin and hair, but I am taking creative liberties in that area in order to make the plot result in the eventual ending that I intend for this thing to have.  
><strong>

**Jojo: What IS it with you and pale skin, anyway?  
>Me: Whataya mean?<br>**

**Jojo: I have pale skin, Leo and Autumn have pale skin, Annabel has pale skin, TYLER has pale skin, I'm pretty sure that Lottie does too, not to mention Allen and Lenore. It's always either "pale ivory" or "alabaster," and while I do admit that the latter is more recent, that's only the case because it only recently occurred to you to start using that instead of ivory as a descriptive word for skin colors.  
><strong>

**Me: Okay, first off, Tyler is supposed to be Brent's opposite, and since Brent has a medditerranian-ish, sorta-kinda-almost Italian complexion, Tyler HAS to be pale, it's supposed to be like Brent is looking at a photo negative of himself. LOTTIE is pale because she's grown up in rainy LONDON and has hardly ever gotten to see the sun in her life as a result of that. Allen, Lenore, and Annabel are pale because HELLOOOOO, they're freakin' GOTHIC PUNK ROCKERS! Autumn and Leo are pale for almost the same reason as Lottie, except for them it's because the smog and stuff that their world is filled with always blocks out the sun. And YOU, little missy, are pale because you take after your great-grandmother, and her skin wasn't exactly very tan, either! And besides, Scarlett is half African-American, her skin looks kind of like Joanne Jefferson's from RENT, and Marcie was inspired by Maureen Johnson, so her skin is the same as Mo's, whose is the same as the actress who played her, who was IDINA FREAKING MENZEL, so THERE.  
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**Marcie: I heard my name, am I needed for something? Something involving a spotlight, hopefully...?  
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**Brent: I heard mine, too. What's going on?  
><strong>

**Me: ALRIGHT! First off, Monsieur Richter, shouldn't you be otherwise occupied at the moment? And second, no, Marcie, you're not needed for anything, spotlight or otherwise. Sorry.  
><strong>

**Marcie: Aw, man! *sulks off*  
><strong>

**Me: Oh, poor girl. I feel so bad for her sometimes. It's not her fault she's such a spotlight diva, really. It's mine. *glances at Brent* Etes-vous encore ici, monsieur?  
><strong>

**Brent: Oui, mademoiselle. Vous voyez, je ne sais pas ce que vous voulez pour moi d'être engagés dans le moment actuel.  
><strong>

**Me: Mon dieu, êtes-vous honnêtement si oublieux? Vous et notre sorcière résident sont censés travailler sur le plan maître!  
><strong>

**Brent: Sacré bleu, bien sûr! Comment pourrais-je oublier quelque chose de si important? Merci beaucoup, la jeune madame! *turns and leaves room*  
><strong>

**Me: Vous êtes les bienvenus, créature pitoyable!  
><strong>

**Jojo: *is still there and mostly forgotten by now, also really confused* ...Sometimes I wish I hadn't dropped out of school before I got the chance to learn a second language, because then I could understand snatches of these conversations you have with everyone else in other languages, if nothing more.  
><strong>

**Me: *doesn't look up from what I'm writing on desk* Tutte le cose nel loro tempo, mia cara, tutte le cose nel loro tempo.  
><strong>

**Jojo: ... *turns around and leaves*  
><strong>


End file.
